The World's Verse
by QueenAU
Summary: Ally finds herself engaged to Austin, the Moon King who conquered most of the world. He could marry anyone, but he wants her only because of her powers. He is as ruthless and cold as the rumors say, but Ally soon sees that is not entirely true. Can she change him back to himself? And will they overlook their differences and survive against rising enemies? ooc
1. Chapter 1

A girl, with a bag slung over her shoulder, stood in front of the King's castle. She took the sight of it in, and then proceeded to go towards the doors. Two palace guards eyed her warily as she approached.

"Please state your name, title, and reason for coming here," one of the guards said when she was close enough.

The girl threw back the hood of her cloak back, revealing her face. She introduced herself with confidence. "I am Ally, Princess of Dawson. I've traveled here to marry your King."

_"The King of the Moon Kingdom sent us a letter," Ally's mother told Ally and her sisters gravely. "He has asked for one of you to be his bride and in return, our country will remain independent."_

_Ally and her sisters gaped at the Dawson queen in bewilderment. They couldn't believe their ears! The ruthless Moon King had conquered most of the world-all of the lands known to man, and he decided to leave their small country alone? Why spare the Dawson Kingdom, of all places?_

_"What?"_

_"This is so stupid!"_

_"You've got to be kidding me!"_

_Outbursts from all of the princesses filled the room. The queen hushed them, and continued explaining. "Whoever goes shall be the Moon Queen. For the sake of our country, one of you will have to go."_

_"But," Ally interrupted, "why us?"_

_Ally's mother shook her head. "I do not know, I'm afraid."_

_Now that the initial shock was over, the girls started to fear for themselves. Everyone knew that the Moon King had dominated every country in just two years since he was crowned, so what kind of person was he? Ally knew without a doubt that he would be a cruel, cold-hearted that she would never love. Her throat closed up at the thought of being married to someone she didn't love._

_Her younger sisters' eyes were filled with panic and fear. Ally loved all of her sisters, and she couldn't imagine them leading such a miserable life. Alana had a crush on someone already, and Alice was secretly going out with someone. Marrying the king would be a terrible future._

_But for the sake of her country and her sisters, she would do it._

_"I'll go."_

Ally kept her eyes forward, and walked with steady steps. She was the picture of calm on the outside, but internally, she was a mess. Although she knew what she was doing here, she couldn't help but feel nervous. However, she was also glad that her sisters did not have to endure this. It was better that it was her, and not them.

The butler leading her to the King stopped at a set of elaborate doors. He opened them and gestured for her to enter. The room was as fancy as the doors. A detailed, long carpet led to a figure sitting in the throne. Shadows shrouded the King from Ally's view, but she would see him when she got close enough. Her gaze flickered to the empty throne next to him. She gulped at the thought that it was for her.

'This is it,' she thought, kneeling down before the king but keeping her eyes down, 'this is my fate.'

"Thank you for coming from such a long way, Princess Ally of Dawson." The king greeted her.

Ally's eyes widened as she heard the voice. Why was it so...youthful? She looked up to see the King sitting before her, looking like her age. He was just a teenager!

The king smirked down at her. "I am Austin, King of the Moon Kingdom."

'What?!"

King Austin studied her too, muttering to his butler. "I thought we sent for the most beautiful princess? They're mocking me or something."

"Yes, we did," replied the butler.

"Whatever," the monarch shrugged, "you're still a Dawson, and I will get what I want anyway. Princess Ally, I've heard of your family's special abilities to bend the laws of nature by singing. Controlling the land has bored me, so naturally, I desire the skies."

Ally was still in denial that this was the king. He was far too young to be in charge of the whole world. He wore a young face and body, but his eyes...they were almost dead. There was no life in them, and Ally could tell that rarely did they contain happiness. So this was the king.

"How dare you," Ally finally growled out, "you bring me all the way out here, because you want to use my powers? You think people are just toys, don't you?"

"Sometimes."

And then the princess sprang up and got in his face. "The world is not something to play with-you're just a kid too!"

Austin just looked at her coolly, "We're pretty much the same age, you know." He grinned in amusement. "I admire your bravery, speaking up against me. But you're a bit too fiery. Throw her into a cell in the dungeons are something, maybe that will change her mind."

* * *

Ally was fuming behind the bars of her prison. Sure, she defied him, but she was a guest -a princess- in his Kingdom! This king was truly cruel, just like in the rumors. Oh well, she'll show him the abilities of the Dawsons, alright.

When the guards were distracted, she sat in the darkest corner of the cell. Closing her eyes, she focused on her surroundings and listened to nature. She was far from the outside, it was hard to use the wind in there, but it would only take a little breath to get what she wanted. The princess sang odd words under her breath and a wind swept into the cell and sliced the bars of the small window above her.

She grinned in triumph at the now open window. Quickly, she climbed on top of the bed and crawled through the window to the outside.

* * *

The King of the Moon Kingdom let out a sigh. The papers in front of him were finally done. It was not hard for him to solve the economy problems, no, it was easy. Too easy. This sort of thing was what made him the king of the world. From war to trading treaties, everything was just a puzzle for him to easily complete.

"How boring..." He murmured to himself.

"I'll make it more interesting then, your Highness."

Austin whipped around to see Ally crouching on the window frame, wind blowing the curtains and her hair in a dramatic way. Her eyes were filled with anger that sent chills down his spine.

'She used her powers...' he thought before she moved in a flash and pinned him down to the desk.

"I thought about going home quietly, but I decided to seek vengeance instead by beating the shit out of you."

'Yup, she's pissed.'


	2. Chapter 2

When someone who could potentially hurt you has you pinned down to your desk, what do you do? For Austin, it was simple. He would be his usual self. After getting over the initial surprise, Austin replied with snark, "I usually prefer to be on top, but that's fine too I guess."

Ally was still beating her fist into her open palm. "You ass."

"Everything would have been much easier if you just showed me your powers. It can't be that hard to call down the rain or something. Unless," he paused for dramatic effect, "you can't do it?"

Ally felt her eye twitch in irritation. "Of course I can do it. I just won't do it for you. It's not some neat parlor trick! Controlling the skies-calling the rain, moving the clouds...it's a ritual that takes preparation."

"I can arrange that for you." Strangely, a funny image of Ally chanting in a dark room with a bubbling cauldron popped into his mind. "Whatever materials you have in mind, I can easily get it."

"No, it's not like that."

"Then what do you need?"

Ally looked out the window into the starry night. "I don't need 'materials'. The ingredients I need are experiences and feelings. Before I do anything big like making it rain, I need to feel connected to this land, and really feel the beauty of the surrounding world. The song I sing to bring forth the rain needs to be arranged by me. I arrange the song by taking inspiration from the land's climate, land, and scenery. They affect the basic melody and rhyme. But first the one who desires the rain, in this case, you," she looked at him dead in the eyes, "have to show me, the caster of the spell, the beauty of the Moon Kingdom."

The king nodded thoughtfully, still holding her gaze. He could see it in her eyes that this was very important to her. "I understand. There's a garden in east of the castle, we-"

"Your Majesty!" The same butler burst through the room's doors, with some guards behind him. "the princess has..." He trailed off as his eyes landed on the very princess he was speaking of.

King Austin pointed at Ally. "Not escaped. Anyway, Sebastian, please escort her to her room that was arranged for her originally. I'll see you in the morning, Princess Ally."

While the princess was heading to her bedroom, Sebastian handed the king a letter. "A report from Lord Dez," he said, "apparently the enemy's forces have been acting up lately. He thought he would inform you to be more careful."

Austin sighed. "Why do they bother to rebel? Thank you, Sebastian."

* * *

Ally woke up to the the slamming of doors and enthusiastic voices.

"Good morning, Princess Ally!" The maids sang in unison. They introduced themselves briefly before moving towards different areas of the room. "We're here to get you ready for your day. You'll be having breakfast with His Majesty, and then taking a stroll through the west garden."

One maid, named Marilyn, took out a dress and laid it on the bed Ally was still sitting on. "Would this dress be suitable, princess?" she asked politely.

"Yes, it's fine. Thank you," Ally replied, finally getting out of the extremely soft bed.

One glance at the dress told her that yes, it was very different from what she normally wore. This dress was for true royalty. The Kingdom of Dawson was small, and not as rich as the Moon Kingdom. Sure, she did occasionally wear something nicer for an event, but her country did not have the means for such things as luxurious as the Moon Kingdom's. The elaborate bedroom she was given was proof of that. She was not surprised either, as the Moon Kingdom was the richest of all countries since Austin took the throne.

The king was confusing. He was the same age as her, yet he had the tired, dead eyes of a much older person. How he managed to take control of all of the countries was beyond her. Austin seemed smart, but he was so young! How did he become like this?

The maids helped her get into the beautiful dress, and did her hair. Once that was all done, she was led to a dining room of sorts. The king sat at the head of the table laden with breakfast food. Ally took a seat at the other end. "Morning," she greeted.

"Morning."

They began to eat their food, with nothing but the clink of silverware and plates filling the silence. The food was delicious, of course. Ally looked through the large window to her left, and saw the clear blue sky stretched out before her. Not a single cloud marred the heavens. She could see the city down below too, but she could only see the rooftops of buildings. Maybe she could go explore the city some other day.

"Have you been to the Moon Kingdom before?" The king finally broke the silence.

Ally turned her attention to him to see that his was entirely on her too. "No, I haven't."

"Well, what's your first impression of it?"

"It's...different. Everything is so dry here, and it feels like a desert with all this sunshine. You should consider renaming your country to Sun Kingdom."

The corners of King Austin's lips turned up. "I think Moon Kingdom sounds better, but you're right. We actually don't get any rain here. The irrigation systems bring water to the farms and the city, so we don't really need rain. However, I would like to personally see rain myself."

"You've never seen rain before?" The princess couldn't imagine it. The Dawson Kingdom gets a lot of rainfall, especially with their singing that makes it rain.

"Not a drop."

The two continued to make small talk until their plates were cleared. Since Ally came from such an isolated country, she didn't get a lot of news. This opportunity for knowledge was not wasted. She learned more about the Moon Kingdom in those few minutes than in the dusty books of her castle's library. Austin could be agreeable when he tried, it seemed.

* * *

"These are beautiful!" Ally exclaimed in delight as she crouched down to take a closer look at the flowers. The climate and vegetation of their countries were unique too. Never have she seen such yellow but gold like petals.

Austin and Ally had come to the gardens promptly after their plates were taken away. As soon as the gardens came into view, Ally had sped off in curiosity. She loved the world, and nature fascinated her. Austin trailed behind with Sebastian the butler, taking his time to get to the gardens.

"I suppose," he said, "but flowers are still just flowers."

Ally turned around to look up at him. "What?"

The king remained impassive as he inspected the flowers. "Flowers are just flowers. What's so amazing about it?"

"You..." the princess looked at him sadly, "even though you conquered the world, you've never appreciated it. What a waste."

_What a waste._

Austin waved away Sebastian. "Yes, they might have looked more beautiful a long time ago. But you must understand, that certain circumstances have made me not enjoy their beauty as much, and that's just how it is."

She looked at him and saw nothing but honesty in those hazel eyes. Why does she feel so sad when she looked in those lifeless eyes? The princess stared at him for a long time before speaking.

"Will you please try, just for me, to see the beauty in nature today?"

The king saw earnest in her eyes, and couldn't help but appease her. "Alright."

Ally smiled brightly. "Ah, look at those trees! Aren't those apples?"

The princess was too careless as she ran towards the trees, and fell into a pond below. Soaking wet, she emerged from the pond grumpily. She heard a weird sound and raised her head to see Austin laughing. Laughing! It was like a loud roar, and Austin was clutching at his stomach in laughter. Sebastian ran back to them and was flabbergasted at the sight, but then he smiled.

'Maybe,' she thought, 'it wouldn't be so hard. This guy's not completely cold-hearted. I feel oddly happy that he's happy, even if it's for a brief moment. And at my expense.'

King Austin composed himself and offered her his hand. "Sorry, you're just so clumsy."

"And you're just so gullible," she replied, grabbed his hand, and pulled him into the pond too.

She cackled at the sight of the usually dignified monarch soaked to the bone. He gave her a mock glare, and then joined in her laughter.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Hopefully the explanation about Ally's powers was clear. Let me know what you guys think of the story so far! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

_"Mother, what are you singing?" The young blonde asked._

_A child and his mother sat by the lake in the isolated gardens of the castle. They had been admiring nature and all its beauty. Away from the other nobles, they could be at peace. The blonde woman, who had been humming to herself, smiled gently at her son. "It's a song I learned from some friends a place far far away. When they sing it, it brings rain down from the sky."_

_He cocked his head to the side, puzzled. "What's rain?"_

_"I haven't seen it," the mother looked wistfully across the lake, "but I've heard it's very beautiful. They look like drops of water and they fall from clouds in the sky."_

_"Do you want to see it?"_

_She grasped the hand of her son. "Maybe, it is quite dry here. But, I'm fine as long as you're here, Austin." The mother kissed Austin's forehead. "You are my blessed rain."_

_"Me too."_

* * *

After an exhilarating game with some kind of ball, the couple rested on one of the stone benches. Sebastian stood at a respectful distance while the couple caught their breath. Ally, although tired, had a huge smile on her face.

"That was so much fun!" She exclaimed.

"Sure," replied Austin, a grin threatening to break out onto his own face. Ally could see that cold facade breaking away with each second she spent with him. The king tried to be aloof, but Ally could see another version of him hiding away.

And she was determined to bring it out.

Austin and Ally gazed at the colourful flowers, and towering trees before them. "It's so beautiful."

She expected him to state that flowers were just flowers, and trees were just trees, but he just nodded. There was a softness in his expression, like he truly appreciated the garden. The king's eyes flickered to Ally's to see her looking intently at him. Instead of getting embarrassed, Ally maintained eye contact. She found herself getting lost in those eyes that were the colour of honey and gold at the same time. Her heart rate was accelerating with each passing moment she stared back at him.

Unbeknownst to her, Austin's heart was also beating faster than usual. He cleared his throat, looked away, and asked, "So do you want to go down to see the city later?"

"Are you asking me out on a date?"

Austin smirked. "You've forgotten the fact that we're already engaged. So do you want to go or what, _fiancée_?"

"Yes." Ally turned her head to look away from Austin as she accepted his invitation.

She found the huge trees behind the stone bench they were sitting on fascinating while avoiding his gaze. She had almost forgotten that she had to get married to him. But, her mind flashed back to those rare smiles he let slip, if it means making him happy, she didn't mind as much.

The species of the trees was familiar to her, surprisingly. They had grown outside her bedroom window back at home, and it was comforting to see them. Her heart stopped for a split second when she caught sight of an odd glint in the leaves. It was the silver glint of metal, and she recognized that it was the tip of an arrowhead.

The world seemed to slow down as she saw it being aimed to her left and drawn back. Ally, without hesitating, pushed herself to her left, in range shooting range of the arrow. What had been meant for Austin embedded itself into her with a thwack.

She fell to the ground as Sebastian and the guards rushed over to form a protective circle around Austin and Ally. Austin had frozen in shock and horror with a haunted look in his widened eyes. He pressed his hands tightly on the wound.

"No," he whispered. Warm, red, liquid covered his fingers. Ally was bleeding profusely from the arrow, and scarlet was spreading on the fabric her light dress.

* * *

_Austin smiled up with innocence to his mother, who had her forehead on his. She returned a loving one back. They were in their ideal place, away from the eyes and whispers of the court. There was nobody here to hurt them, to laugh at them, or to sneer at them._

_But that peace was shattered when someone shot an arrow through his mother's heart._

_"Mother!" He screamed. She slumped on his small form, breathing heavily. Her tears mixed with the tears that streamed down Austin's face._

_She called his name as the light slowly faded from her eyes. "Austin..."_

_"No," he whispered. "Please...!"_

* * *

"The princess has fallen to a fever. Her wound was not fatal, but she will be bed ridden for a while. The best medicine of all countries is being given to her at the moment. The culprit has escaped; we believe they were from the enemy, but there's no proof," Sebastian reported to his king, "Your Majesty, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, don't worry. Thanks to this, I've remembered something very important." King Austin turned around with a steeled look in his eyes. It was filled with both fury and calm, but at the same time, empty. Devoid of anything but hate. Anyone who looked at him now would believe the rumors of the king that ruled the world was cold-hearted and cold. He spat his next words out viciously. "The world is cruel. It's full of people who want to harm me, so I must _destroy _my enemies. My world is nothing like Ally's, it is _fun_."

Sebastian bowed, nervous even though the king was younger than him. "Of course, Your Highness."

Austin swiveled back to look scornfully out the window. "You know my orders?"

"Yes, sire."

* * *

A few days later, Ally was up and fighting to see the king. "I want to see him," she said, "I can walk, see? I'm fine!"

Her maids shook their heads. "No, you must stay in bed. These are the doctor's orders!"

"Screw the doctor's orders!" Ally groaned. She had been locked in her bedroom ever since she had been shot in her shoulder. Nothing deadly, but far to close to her chest where her heart was. The person she took an arrow for hadn't even visited! Ally sulkily hugged her pillow. "What has he been doing, anyway?"

"He's been busy holding hearings. The king is eliminating anyone suspicious of treason," replied one of her maids, "because of the assassination attempt, everyone is on high alert. Several people have already been stripped of their titles, seized of their land, among other things...He's really tightening his hold."

Ally furrowed her brows. 'What is he doing?' she thought, 'if he continues to do this, everyone will hate him!"

The doors opened and Sebastian stepped into Ally's room. Ally's mood perked up at the sight of him. "Thank god," she said, "Sebastian, I need to speak to Austin-"

"The king has given his orders," Sebastian interrupted, "you are to return home immediately."

"But-"

"Immediately."

The carriage was prepared and the butler accompanied the princess on her way to the docks where a boat was waiting. Ally glared out the little window of the carriage, head in her hand. She mouth was drawn in a displeased frown. Sebastian noticed this.

"Why are you in such a bad mood? I believe you did not want to marry him."

Ally huffed in frustration. "It's not that-I'm mad that he just..._divorced_ me like that! He didn't even say it to my face, he simply set me home. I don't want his thanks or anything, but shouldn't he at least explain to me why in person?"

"I am sorry for his behaviour," Sebastian answered, "but His Majesty has trouble reaching out and communicating with others."

"What do you mean?"

"Ever since he was a child, King Austin had been shunned by those who surround him except for his mother. His mother had been from a lower class and had married his father, who was one of the most powerful kings of that time-so many people disliked her. They stayed away from others by hiding in other places like the gardens. Unfortunately, she was assassinated in front of him when he was just seven years old."

Ally gaped at Sebastian. "Oh my god, I never knew..."

"After she passed away, King Austin rose up and eventually took the throne at the age of fifteen. He conquered most of the world and improved it in his rule, but many still hate him. It's a distraction for him, to forget. The fact that he is far younger than any other king, he defeated all opposing countries, and his mother is from a lower class makes many want him to take off his crown. He acts the way he acts to put up a shield."

At the end of his words, the carriage stopped. The butler was instantly alert. He told Ally to stay inside as he go out of the carriage. Ally did not follow his instructions and went out to see what was happening for herself, her mind still spinning from the information he had given her.

The driver of the carriage pointed to the castle. "My apologies, sir, but I noticed the castle was-"

"On fire," Ally breathed out in disbelief. A plume of smoke was coming from the castle, and when she squinted, she found that it was coming from Austin's study. "They're trying to kill him!" She took off running towards the fire, ignoring the cries from the butler and the driver.

She quietly sang a few words she made up on the go, and the wind picked up to bring her to the castle. As she willed for the winds to go faster, she worried for Austin.

* * *

**Suspense! Now we're getting to know more about Austin's past and it looks like Ally is using some of her powers. Drop me a review, maybe? I'm worried no one is actually reading this. **


	4. Chapter 4

Everyone at the castle panicked. The King's study and bedroom was an inferno, and they could not get on the third floor at all. Most people worried for King Austin's safety, but some hid smiles behind their hands. Meanwhile, Austin remained calm in his literally scorching hot room.

"They have some nerve, just setting my room on fire," he muttered to himself. Austin kicked at a panel in the lower wall, and it gave in. He moved the rectangle of wood away and crawled into the secret passageway. It eventually led to the top of a tower. From here, Austin could see the mass of people panicking.

'What do I do now...' he pondered. 'The flames will make their way up here eventually too.'

"Hey!" Someone shouted from below. "Do you hear something?"

"A song?"

"Look, up there!"

Austin followed everyone's line of sight to the person singing. His eyes widened when he caught sight of Ally standing on top of a tower opposite of him, with her arms spread out as if to hug the skies. She sang in a language he could not understand, but it was beautiful nonetheless. All of the people were drawn to her voice.

_Clouds, come to us.  
Rain, fall on us.  
Dissipate the flames,_

Clouds heavy with rain seemed to appear out of nowhere. Gasps of wonder came from the crowd as drops of water descended upon them. Austin was still frozen to his place, looking at the rain in shock. Eventually, his eyes softened and he closed his eyes, just feeling the rain soak him. Ally, still on the tower, raised her arms, and sang the final verse.

_And show my king..._  
_That the world is still beautiful._

The rain then stopped, almost as soon as it had started. No clouds were seen, but the sun was back, glaring brightly. The king's eyes fluttered open to see a rainbow that arched perfectly over Ally.

"It's so bright..." He murmured, putting an arm over his eyes. Trickles of liquid trailed down his face, but it was not water.

* * *

"There you are!" The sound of Ally's voice jolted Austin from his daze. He had stayed there staring at the rainbow even after the fire had been gone. Ally regarded him with concern, checking for any damage. "You should have come down; we thought you died or something."

"..."

"Well, anyway, what did you think of your first rain?" Ally's eyes shone with excitement and expectation. Austin's lips almost twitched into a smile.

"It was awful," he teased, "my clothes are all wet, the rain tasted weird, and water is just water. But," Austin hesitated, "that bridge of light at the end was nice."

The princess was once again taken back when he said such heartfelt words. They had one of those long eye contacts, saying nothing until Austin looked away and spoke. "Why have you returned?"

Ally crossed her arms. "Is that what you say to someone who just saved your life? I just can't understand you at all." She huffed in frustration. "Fine, I'm leaving. At least you-"

"That's not what I meant."

She raised an eyebrow as he stepped closer, his face centimeters away from hers. "What I'm saying is, I hope you realize that by you doing something like that, it would be harder for me to let you go. Actually, I don't think I'm able to let you go at all anymore." His eyes flashed an emotion that Ally could not identify.

Austin could see her brown eyes studying his closely. Finally, she replied. "That's okay." She went on her tip toes to brush her lips against Austin's, who responded positively. It was chaste, gentle, but spoke a thousand words. Ally grinned. "I'm not leaving you."

The kiss had caught Austin off guard, but he recovered and gave a smirk of his own. That infuriating, devilish smirk that made Ally's heart thunder in her chest. "Good," he said, "You make my world much more interesting."

* * *

The very next day, Ally woke up to the bright sunshine. She just couldn't get used to how strong it would be in the morning. Or the huge bed that was unnecessarily soft. She moved to get the sheets off of her, when she noticed the sheets wouldn't move, as if kept in place by a weight.

Her gaze turned to the left, and she shrieked in surprise. Austin had decided to sleep in her bed, uninvited.

"You're so loud," he groaned. The king pushed himself into a sitting position, running a hand through his messy blond locks. Ally absentmindedly thought it looked good naturally tousled like that.

She shook her head. "Hey, this is my bed!" Ally glanced over him and flushed. "And why are you naked?"

"It gets hot in the mornings with the sun."

"You don't see me in my birthday suit, do you?"

Austin shrugged. "You can start, I don't mind. I'm wearing pants right now, so get your mind out of the gutter. Plus, my room's been burnt to a crisp. Anyway, is it not a tradition for married couple to sleep in the same room?"

Married. Another thing she couldn't get used to. "We're not even married yet," Ally said.

"Soon," promised Austin, "we need to get it signed by the church, but since we had...issues come up, I haven't had the time. Now would be the time to back out."

Ally met his eyes evenly. "My mind hasn't changed."

"Excellent. I wasn't planning on allowing you to back out anyway."

While Ally sputtered in disbelief, Austin allowed himself to let out a breath in relief. He would have had to do everything in his power to convince her to stay had she wanted to divorce.

The princess thought back to that day on top of the tower. He had admitted he wouldn't let her go, hadn't he? Was he really serious about this? "Austin, about that kiss..."

The king immediately got up and walked away to the door. He waved to her. "See you at breakfast. Oh right," Austin remembered, "There's going to be a party, and Sebastian has arranged lessons to train you. I need to introduce you to the world as my wife-or fiancee, whatever you prefer. You will also make it rain and impress them or something."

"No," Ally refused. "I told you, it's a sacred ritual."

Austin turned back to face her. "But you did it the other day."

"It was an emergency."

"You'll do it anyway." He then turned on his heel and left Ally's room.

'Honestly, just when I thought I had him, he puts up his walls again...' Ally thought.

* * *

And so Ally found herself spending her days having lessons on how to be a proper lady. Ally, as wife to the king of the world, had to be the first lady of all first ladies. There were long classes on etiquette and manners. It annoyed her because she was raised very well, thank you very much.

She has always had a thirst for knowledge, but memorizing each ambassador and noble of each nation was tiring. Sebastian had defended her training by saying that she could not embarrass herself in front of any of these powerful people, and that her humiliation would be Austin's humiliation. So she just endured, and hoped that the day of the party would just come.

The princess had not seen Austin in days. He was always busy with his kingly duties, filling up that void in him. King Austin had a huge amount of meetings, he held an audience with anyone who wanted to speak to him, and he had to decide and sign many documents. She understood why he was busy, but she hadn't even seen him at breakfast. The idiot was probably skipping his meals and overworking himself.

She had made many friends with the servants, but she kind of missed him. There were no exact words to describe their relationship, but she felt like it could be called at least a friendship. But it was also for the best they had some time away from each other, she supposed, as everything would be awkward between them. Last time she brought up the kiss, he had just got up and left.

Perhaps he was overworking to avoid her.

Ally hugged one of her pillows, sprawled across her bed, enjoying the few moments of peace she had in the morning while she could. She had been very tired when she retired to bed last night. Dancing took a lot out of her, surprisingly. She breathed in deeply, and was pleased to smell the sweet scent of flowers.

She got closer to the vase to admire the flowers of the Moon Kingdom. Different as they were, they were still a bit of nature in the confined castle. They brought memories of her home beyond these stone walls. There was no time to go to the gardens herself, so these were a wonderful substitute.

Her maids knocked and then allowed themselves in. "Good morning, Your Highness," they greeted.

"Morning," she said, "thank you again for all of the hard work you've done. Especially putting these different flowers here everyday." She lifted one and sniffed it happily.

They nodded, but then exchanged glances with each other. "Actually," started Marilyn, "we're not allowed to tell you, but those flowers were picked by His Majesty himself. He wanted to comfort you in your life away from home. The king does it in the spare moments in his busy schedule."

"Oh..."

It seemed that he remembered her, after all.

* * *

**Whoa! Thank you so much for all of your reviews! I've never received so many for one chapter and each and every one of them just made my life. Thank you :)**

**That being said, I believe I need to reply to some of them. I don't really PM, so I'll answer any questions after each chapter so that everyone can know if they want to too. I'll also comment on stuff maybe? I'm not quite sure but we'll work it out!**

_**Q: Why did Austin send her back? Was it because he cares for her and doesn't want her to get hurt or that he realized he is falling for her and doesn't want to grow close to anyone again?**_  
_**A: I think it is a combination of both. He certainly has grown to care for Ally, and realizes that with him, she has a high chance of getting hurt. Austin is hesitant to get attached to someone, because it's dangerous for them and he would not be able to stand losing anyone else. You may have noticed that he is sort of distancing himself from her. But I think we all know it's not going to stop him from falling ;)**_

_**Q: Can you update tomorrow?**_  
_**A: Looks like I couldn't, oops! Sorry. I try to aim for an update about every four days or a week. I want to give you guys the best quality of chapters. If it's over a week, something probably came up. I apologize in advance!**_

**Odd chapter, but I needed to end it or it would have been too long. Hope you found the length ok! Let me know what you thought maybe?**


	5. Chapter 5

"Sebastian!" Ally called. She had sneaked off from her lessons to try to find Austin. Her search in the endless castle was fruitless. She had ended up in the front gardens and spotted Sebastian. Hopefully his most trusted servant will know where he was. "Where is Austin?"

"His Majesty had just attended an inquiry committee meeting," replied Sebastian.

"This early?" It was currently eight in the morning.

The butler nodded. "He began his duties an hour ago, actually. And he'll continue to fulfill them until midnight, most likely. He rarely sleeps, and when he does, it's usually at his desk. The last time His Majesty had a full night's sleep in a bed was in yours."

"He really has a lot of responsibilities..." muttered the princess, "I know he's king, but for someone his age-"

"It's true he still has the body of a teenager, and I'd rest easier if he took care of his body more, but it is his choice. He once said 'As long as there are things I should do, I can avoid thinking of useless thoughts.'"

"Ah, good morning Sebastian." A voice came from behind them. They turned around to see a middle aged man, probably a noble, with more nobles behind him.

Sebastian greeted him, "Lord Starr."

Lord Starr gestured to the men behind him. "I am showing the ambassadors around our gardens."

"Thank you for taking the trouble of travelling so far to get here," said Sebastian.

An ambassador with black hair spoke, "No, we should be thanking you. We are humbled and delighted to be here in His Majesty's countenance."

Ally recognized the ambassador from her lessons. The books had pictures of the people along with the text. He was from the Sun Kingdom, a country that has been an old ally to the Moon Kingdom since ancient times. Like all the other ambassadors here, he looked remarkably important. The Sun Kingdom ambassador became aware of her presence. "And this is?..."

"Princess Nike," answered Lord Starr.

The realization dawned on the ambassador. "I see. So you are the one they said His Majesty is killing his time on." He laughed as Ally narrowed her eyes. "Ah, please excuse me. I heard it from a cabinet minister a moment ago. The princess from the tiny country that was brought here for the World King's amusement, right? You have a magic trick of some sort, too."

The other nobles laughed along with him, and added comments that belittled her rain calling. Ally clenched her fists in anger. She was standing right in front of them! The princess piped up. "Hey-"

But another voice joined the group, interrupting her. "She may be good for killing time, but compared to those who do nothing but suck up to me, she's far more useful." Austin had arrived, carrying a forbidding and authoritative aura with him. His eyes were dark as he regarded the ambassadors. "Utter your words with more care, ambassadors. She is still a princess who deserves respect, and she will be your queen soon."

"Y-your Majesty!"

"Our apologies-"

"Please forgive us!"

The King just stared at them coolly while they scrambled to kneel before him. "Lord, would you want to tire me with this tedious banter when we both now that I heard everything?"

The Sun ambassador nodded quickly and frightfully. "Excuse us, Your Majesty. We shall take our leave now." And so the nobles ran off with their tails between their legs.

Austin sighed. "How boring. They have no guts."

Ally studied him carefully. He had dark shadows underneath his eyes, and his posture had slackened once the ambassadors scampered off. "You don't look so good."

"I haven't slept," the king shrugged, "pulled an all-nighter."

"Why don't you take a break?" Ally suggested.

Austin opened his mouth to decline, but closed it as he changed his mind. "Fine." He walked towards the shade of the leafy trees. Ally followed him and sat down on the grass beside him.

The king relaxed against the trunk of the tree. "They're so troublesome and petty. Just ignore them, Ally. Those people don't understand anything, especially not you."

"Right..." Ally's gaze flickered to the king.

His gaze was elsewhere, and his mind was burdened with his worries. "Hey, make it rain for me."

"Like I've said, it's-" Ally paused in her automatic response, "I thought you didn't like it. You want to see it now?"

"I don't know, but there's just something about the rain that makes me remember it well. When it rains, all the savageness of the world seems to disappear. And it gets...quiet."

* * *

The one who taught Ally how to bring forth the rain was her grandmother.

_"What we moisten is not just the earth," said Ally's grandmother, "there's something else we reach when we make it rain. The place we call the true raindrops are the special places in people's hearts. We put an end to the heavy burdens that people carry. The heart is a sacred place, but it is extremely fragile and easily dried. That is why we must deliver it to them. Do you understand?"_

_"Yes, grandmother," replied young Ally. Truthfully, she did not understand any part of what her grandmother had just said. How can rain wet people's hearts? It was just too abstract of an idea for the young princess to comprehend._

Now, years later, Ally understood.

* * *

"This is magnificent," complimented Lord Starr to King Austin.

The introduction celebration for Ally was lavish. It was held in the ballroom of the castle. Streamers hung from the high ceilings, and the most beautiful flowers decorated the room. Lords, ladies, and ambassadors from other countries buzzed about in the ballroom. Drinks and food fit for the king and future queen were served by courteous servants.

"Thank you," said Austin, "Please, enjoy yourselves." He nodded kingly to the ambassadors behind Lord Starr.

Suddenly, surprised remarks came from the guests. Flower petals floated gently from the ceiling, even though the windows were not open.

The Sun ambassador spoke. "How splendid! You've really outdone yourself with the decorations, Your Majesty."

"This was not planned..." muttered the king.

A figure at the top of the grand stairs caught everyone's eye. It was Ally, in a dress that flowed as smoothly as the flower petals floated. Her lustrous dark hair was pulled back and had flowers matching the petals woven into it. The finest strings of pearls hung from the high neckline and intertwined with her dress.

The crowd murmured in awe. "Is that the princess?"

Sebastian faced them. "Honoured ambassadors, this is what you called a magic trick."

Ally stood with her back straight, dignified. "I sincerely thank you all for gathering here today on my behalf. This is a symbol of my gratitude."

The princess began singing. A soft noise outside attracted the people's attention. Through the ballroom's windows, it was raining. The shower amazed the audience, for some of them have never seen rain, let alone see someone will it to come. Ally's voice was just as mesmerizing as the rain, especially in the foreign language she sang it in.

She curtsied when her song ended and the clouds dissipated. The audience clapped, looking at her in wonder. The Sun ambassador went up to her, "Your Highness! Never have I seen someone as beautiful as you." He knelt before her and took her hand into his. "If you would give me the honour of kissing your hand..."

Another hand grasped Ally's and pulled it away from the ambassador's. "You seem to have grown interested in Princess Ally, despite your comments several days ago. Sebastian, it appears our ambassador is a bit thirsty!"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Sebastian appeared by the ambassador's side, and took a hold of his arm, "allow me to lead you to the drinks, ambassador."

Austin and Ally watched in amusement as the ambassador was dragged off. "Thank you," said Austin.

"I didn't do it for them."

"I know," a small almost unnoticeable smile graced the king's lips, "I understand. Thank you."

* * *

**PREVIEW/CLUE ABOUT NEXT CHAPTER:**

"It was amazing! She summoned the rain just by singing, and the princess is also absolutely stunning." The Sun ambassador spoke to a figure sitting on a golden chair. He had traveled back to the Sun Kingdom and was reporting to the person.

The person frowned at the ambassador's words. "Is she really? I guess I'll go see for myself..."

* * *

**Hope you liked it! Chapter was one day late, but I gave a tiny preview to make it up. My apologies!**

**Question time~**

Q: Where has Austin been sleeping if not in Ally's bed? Was Trish the rebel who shot Ally with an arrow?  
A: His desk, or not at all. I never really gave thought to the rebel, but you may believe it is Trish if you wish. Now that I think about it, Trish being a rebel would be really interesting...

Q: Are you gonna watch Ellen tmz?  
A: If you mean the R5 performance on the Ellen show, then yes! It was awesome :)

Q: Was that Ally's and Austins first kiss? Is she going to get pregnant and can next chapter be the wedding and honeymoon?  
A: Yes, it was. Ally won't be getting pregnant anytime soon, that's for...later. Much later. Same goes for wedding and honeymoon. You will see that they will face some problems before they get married.


	6. Chapter 6

**Long chapter. This chapter is going to be really annoying, sorry. I swear this had to be done and there's a good reason for it (I think). Bear with me and I'll explain at the end?**

* * *

Two farmers squinted at the glaring sun. "It's especially sunny today," said one.

"At this rate, the fields will be dried up before we get our scheduled water delivery." The other farmer sighed. "We will have to use the water from our tank...what's that?"

Their heads turned towards the source of the singing, and they saw Ally on top of the hill. She had her arms spread open to the sky where clouds were already gathering and beginning to darken. Some other farmers had heard it too, and looked at her in surprise.

"Is she the princess they keep on talking about?"

His friend nodded, anticipation in his eyes. He had seen this rain before, and it didn't lessen the excitement of being able to see it. "With the powers, yes."

The rain came down with a whoosh. Their farms were immediately moistened, and so were they. Ally finished the final verse, cleared the clouds, and ran towards an elderly farmer who sat under the shade of a tree. "Hey," she waved, "how's your farm, Maria?"

The farm's owner smiled at the princess. "It's going very well, thanks to your rain."

"It's no problem!" She flashed an equally bright smile at her.

"Although," Maria said with concern, "is it really alright for you to do this?"

"Of course," replied the princess. She had decided it wouldn't be bad to use her powers if it helped people. Rain calling was meant to help people in the beginning of time. Ally knew she would have done something like this anyway, but she had insisted it was sacred when she was annoyed that she was brought here on a whim. Besides, she already did it two times, both for Austin in a way. It's only fair.

A bang resounded through the air.

Everyone jumped. The startling sound had come from the castle, and one of the farmers exclaimed, "Did he just fire a blank from a cannon?"

"Yeah," Ally rolled her eyes, "that's the bell calling me home. Bye, everyone!"

As she ran past some bushes, she failed to see the figure on a horse who had been spying on her. The horse rider followed the princess at a slower pace, taking their time.

* * *

"You just had to fire that blank, didn't you?" was the first thing Ally said as she stepped into the study. The king and his butler stood by the window.

Austin shortened the telescope he had been using. "Hello to you too, wife."

Ally took a seat on a chair, a faint blush on her face. "What is going on with that, anyway?" The whole marriage situation was a mess.

"I called you back to talk about this actually," the king admitted, "all marriages have to be approved and signed by the church. I'm about to send ours in, and..."

"Austin!"

Someone came barreling past Ally, and into Austin. They knocked the king off of his chair with the force of their...hug? Upon closer inspection, Ally and Sebastian saw that Austin's attacker was only a teenage girl. Austin had been moving into a defensive position when he too realized who it was.

Austin peered into amber orbs, his own face contorted in recognition, then confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"Um, can anyone tell me who this is?" asked Ally.

The girl swept her hair the colour of brown sugar back as she stood up. She somehow gracefully swatted at invisible dust on her golden dress. Hands folded neatly in front of her, she was the perfect image of well-mannered nobility while she introduced herself. "I am the first princess of the Sun Kingdom, Brooklyn Aditya Sun-or if you'd prefer, Brooke."

Sebastian sidled over to Ally and muttered, "She and Austin have been friends since they were very young..."

"I've come a long way to claim something Austin promised me a long time ago, an union..." she met Ally's gaze evenly, "In short, I am his fiancée."

Ally's jaw almost hit the floor. She then glared at Austin in accusation.

Austin rubbed his temples and sighed. "I never promised you anything. Your parents wanted us to, but-"

"The Sun Kingdom is the Moon Kingdom's oldest ally! I won't let you refuse."

The World King shook his head, and stormed over to Ally. He took a hold of her arm, "Anyways, I have a fiancée already. I am _taken_."

"Oh is this her?" Brooke's mouth pulled back into a sneer. "My ambassador came back in shambles, and he had these ridiculous adoring eyes when he spoke of you. I don't see much, though. You're only-"

"_Hey_, that's enough." Austin's tone was enough to send shivers down Ally's spine.

Brooke huffed. "I'm not leaving until you leave in tears."

Ally had a feeling she meant what she said.

* * *

And from that day, Ally found herself tormented by the Sun princess. As if her regular lessons weren't bad enough, now she had Brooke judging and mocking her. Brooke had been raised as 'true royalty', and excelled at all of the things Ally had just started learning. When Ally paused even for a second during a recitation of a poem, Brooke would be right at her neck, uttering the line perfectly even though Ally could have done it.

Ally found herself screaming into her pillow at the end of the third day. Austin watched her bemusedly, sitting at a table with some documents on it. He had now taken the habit to look over his documents in Ally's room, so he'd get to see her for a bit before she went to bed. Occasionally, he'd join her.

"This is your fault." The princess glowered at the king.

Austin shrugged. "I didn't do anything. In fact, I haven't heard from her since a couple years ago when I succeeded the throne."

"She's your childhood friend right?" Surely he would have kept in touch with her.

"Kind of. Back then, she just followed me around. She insisted on being my friend despite of my mother's social status. It was a bit concerning, really." The corner of his lip turned up into a half smile. He then yawned, and headed to the bed to get some sleep.

The princess found herself not feeling so calm after his words. That quirk of his mouth and softer look in his eyes when he spoke of Brooke...She seemed important to him, so what had happened?

* * *

Ally went to her dancing lessons the next day. Of all of the lessons, dancing was her most dreaded. The dances here were different from the dances in her country, and she just had a hard time getting the hang of it. As a result, she found herself stepping on Sebastian's foot a lot.

But she tried even harder now. The princess would not admit it had to do anything to do with Brooke. She was not doing this for the Sun princess, no, she was doing it for _herself_. If Brooke had influenced this new fervor, then fine. A little, tiny push doesn't hurt.

A snicker came from behind Ally and, speak of the devil, the brunette was there in her golden Sun Kingdom colours. The Sun Kingdom colours matched the sun's intensity. Brooke wore some variation of gold or yellow, with the slightest hint of another colour. She had observed something Ally absolutely did not want her to see.

"I bet a monkey could dance better than that," she tilted her chin up, "you call that a dance? Allow me to-"

"Okay." Ally was just tired of her antics. "Take the dance floor, show off. I get it; you're better at this than me."

She turned on her heel and strode out of the ballroom. Furiously, Ally went to the farms. She visited Maria, talked to her, and helped out a bit. It calmed her down somewhat, and she went to the royal library afterwards. With the heavy tomes in her arms, Ally went up to one of the towers where almost nobody ever was. In isolation, she practiced her dancing with the books as her guide.

Ally danced and improved without the distractions. It wasn't until the skies were dark and there was company that she realized it was late. The blonde had found her, with cups of some kind of drink in his hands.

"Hey," he said, "I got some luna juice from the kitchens. It helps with fatigue, and I figured you might need the energy."

Ally accepted it with thanks, sitting down on the stone ground of the tower. She stared out into the city below while Austin joined her. The juice was tangy and sweet, and she immediately felt less tired with the sip. Austin drank from his cup steadily, eyes going back to Ally every once in a while.

He cleared his throat. "Do you want to talk?"

"Not really."

"If this is about Brooke and me-"

Ally shook her head. "No, it's not that."

"Okay then. Since you won't spill, I order you as the World King to speak your mind."

The princess snorted, cracking her somber demeanor. "That's cheating."

"Did it work?" Austin smirked.

"Nope!"

"I'll say whatever I assume you're thinking then. Unless you tell me, you're going to have to listen to my guesses. I think you're worried about me replacing you with Brooke?..." He studied her carefully, looking for any kind of response. Ally remained stone faced. "Anyway, while she is a proper royal that would benefit the country greatly with the political, economical, and other advantages, it doesn't matter."

"It doesn't? I thought since she's the first Sun princess and all..."

Austin grinned. "She sprouted all that nonsense, but it means nothing. The Sun Kingdom is an old ally, but marrying her wouldn't make a huge difference. Besides, the Moon Kingdom is pretty well off and we don't need that much help, do we? It's good for the country, but she's not for me. Brooke is lacking..." He looked into Ally's eyes. The king seemed to try to communicate something to her silently. But there was some hesitance in his gaze, too.

He wouldn't say _it, _at least not now. And she wasn't prepared either.

So the princess shrugged. "The complicated mess that is our relationship?"

"That's a nice way of putting it."

"It works, doesn't it?"

The blonde resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He stood up and offered her his hand, "May I have this dance?"

Ally, playing along, got up and curtsied low. "Of course."

They danced a dance Ally had been practicing before he had arrived. It was a bit easier with an actual person there to practice with. Sure, she made some mistakes and they were embarrassing, but dancing was dancing. However, it was a bit more enjoyable with Austin.

But she wouldn't say it aloud to him.

Brooke watched the couple from behind a stone wall. She clenched her fists as she looked at Austin dancing with Ally.

'I've never seen that before,' she thought to herself, 'Austin's smile.'

It was true. Not once had she seen the gentle curve of his true smile. The smile was unlike the twisted smirks or the charming grins that looked real, but did not match the expression in his eyes. It was stunning, but saddening, for she knew it was not for her.

* * *

The next day, Ally woke up to someone calling her name in urgency. She could see Marilyn and the others rushing around behind the butler in front of her.

"Princess Nike," said Sebastian with alarm, "come quickly, Princess Brooklyn is-"

* * *

Brooke waited for Ally outside with her hands on her hips. "First, let me praise you for not running away. I believe you've already heard of what is to happen, but I, the first princess of the Sun Kingdom, challenge you to a duel. An ancient duel, in which we have a death race by horse all the way to the cliff!"

Austin, who had arrived just a bit after Ally, gave Brooke a look of disbelief that matched the ones on the others' faces. "How many times have I told you, that's too dangerous! It's not allowed, and that's an ord-"

"I'll do it." Ally put her arm in front of Austin. She muttered behind her to him, "Brooke is serious about this, and I cannot deny her. Don't worry, I won't allow myself to be separated from you already, right in front of your eyes."

Austin met Ally's gaze, and saw the resolve in there. Stubborn idiot. "I see."

'I'll support her from behind, then'

The princesses got onto their horses. Brooke clarified the rules as Ally readied herself. "We are to follow that water bridge. It leads us through a forest, through a control area, to a cliff. Get to the cliff, but do not stop before then, or you lose. However, if you do not stop right before the cliff, you will die from being flung into the crashing waters. If you want to stop this, tell me now..."

Ally got herself into position without a word, eyes set on the route. Hips up, body leaned forward for the high speeds. "Let us go, then."

'Damn, she is actually doing it. I was hoping I would scare her off. ' Brooke thought.

They sped off at the signal. Ally pulled ahead at ease, putting meters between her and Brooke.

Brooke gritted her teeth and snarled. "Do you really want to be the wife of the World King that badly? I've loved Austin longer than you, _before_ you!"

"Compared to you, my time with him is nothing. But the small amount is enough. I've seen the face of the World King, but most importantly, I've seen the face of the broken and suffering human being," the cliff was now in view, and Ally prepared to stop the horse," and I accept that part of him too! So that's why...Brooke?"

Brooke's expression had turned unreadable with each word that came out of Ally's mouth. What was most alarming was the fact that although the horse had stopped before the cliff, Brooke had not held on, and let herself be flung off the horse's back. Ally frantically muttered some foreign words while Brooke began to fall to the currents below.

At her command, a gust of wind picked up and brought Brooke back up the cliff. Ally strained to bring her up all the way, but couldn't hold it, so she settled for grasping the other princess's hand. Brooke hung to Ally's hand, the only chance of survival. But her eyes were still blank.

Brooke had realized she did not love Austin.

'What am I doing,' she wondered, 'I was frightened of the Austin, scared of how he had changed. I was so scared I hid from him for years...When I heard he was getting married, I had come here because of my selfish love.'

No, it was not love.

'But, this woman, she is better than me, for she loves even Austin's weaknesses so completely...when I couldn't look at him."

The trotting of horses could be heard, and Brooke squeezed her eyes shut. Heat from beneath her eyelids threatened to spill.

* * *

"How are you feeling?" The king asked the princess.

"Better," Brooke was still in bed, "how is _she_?"

"By calling the rain right away, she strained herself and used too much energy. She's exhausted."

Brooke scoffed. "What is she, a middle aged woman?..." She then frowned. "Hey, Austin, being able to call the rain like that, is it important?"

"What about her song?"

"I've heard it before, when she was bringing rain to the farm land, and I hate it. It feels like it just barges into your heart."

The gentle smile Brooke felt jealous of appeared. "Yea, it does have a bothersome part to it. It strips away things like status or bluffs. You become a simple person." He gave a chuckle. "In front of her, it doesn't matter if you're a commoner or royalty. Even a 'king' becomes just 'Austin'. The rain falls evenly on anyone and everyone alike."

"I see-that is pretty important."

* * *

"I'll come again," Brooke said, "to repay the debt. Can I see you for a moment?"

Ally nodded as Brooke lead the way to the grassy area in front of the castle. "Okay, but are you alright? I heard you're leaving already..."

The Sun princess squared her shoulders, then bowed to her. "A loss is a loss. But besides that, I owe you my gratitude for you have saved my life. Although you're uncivilized-"

Ally cleared her throat.

Brooke turned away from Ally, looking anywhere but at her. "But, no matter how uncivilized you are, Austin needs you. And don't you _dare_ forget that. When I saw him on that throne years ago, it was frightening. That crown on his head was too big for him, and his eyes, I could not look into them longer than a minute. But you love him even after he changed."

"Brooke..."

"Hey, will you sing for me? Austin said he would come to see me off, but I don't want him to see me like this." Tears streamed steadily down her face. "If it's raining, they won't be able to notice, right?"

The Rain princess sang. And while she sang, Brooke let her sadness run freely. A soft rain covered them, and it mixed with her tears. Brooke's heart hurt so much it felt like it was going to break, but she still appreciated the rain. She, even with the rain, could see the world beautifully.

The strange song seemed to make her face the troubles she hid away, but when she did, she felt lighter. Relieved.

* * *

**PREVIEW:**

Austin banged his fists against his desk. Pure, raw anger radiated from him as he spoke to Ally. "He got me."

* * *

**Did you guys survive? This is double the amount I usually write, ha ha, so I hope it was okay. I usually hate the whole useless 'jealousy' thing but I wasn't trying to do that, even though it may have seemed like it. I wanted to show how Ally loves all parts of Austin and bring up some of the past too!**

**Q:Can she get pregnant though because I have never seen a royal austin and ally story where they had a baby**  
**A:Maybe, unless something happens to Ally ;) It would take a long time though, because I have a longgg somewhat planned plot. Perhaps as a side story, Guest!**

**Q:Is the sun ambassador Dallas or something?**  
**A:For once I have to say no. You'll see that I have PLANSSS, very detailed plans for dear Dallas. You'll see in several chapters later. ;D**

**I await your responses to this chapter :) Cya later!**


	7. Chapter 7

"Engagement ceremony?" asked Ally.

Marilyn and the maids had laid out an assortment of fabrics for Ally to choose from. The princess admired the pretty fabrics while Marilyn answered, "Yes, an engagement ceremony. It's a ceremony before the actual wedding ceremony. The engagement ceremony is also called the exchanging of the rings, where the rings represent the moon. The couple trades their own rings to each other to make the engagement complete."

"This Kingdom sure has a lot of ceremonies." Now that things have settled down for the most part, the marriage was starting to take shape. It had been only a verbal agreement up until now. Austin told her that he had already sent the marriage application to the church, and the certificate was to arrive soon. Ally honestly didn't know what to think. On one hand, she was getting _married_. On the other hand, she got to stay with Austin.

She pondered this while inspecting the next silvery white fabric. Marriage was a huge commitment, and she constantly doubted her decision. But how bad could it be? She was already considered married to Austin. A piece of paper stating the agreement and a couple of ceremonies wouldn't change much, right? They would probably carry on with their messy relationship as it is. Probably.

A familiar butler appeared at the door. "Princess Ally, would you quickly come to His Majesty's office? It's an urgent matter."

* * *

Austin banged his fists against his desk. Pure, raw anger radiated from him as he spoke to Ally. "He got me."

"Who?" It was weird to see the king so distressed. If he was losing his usual cool, it must be pretty bad.

"The priest who approves marriages. He's considered 'divine authority'." Austin crumpled up the letter that was the source of his frustration.

Sebastian explained further. "Our country worships the moon god, and the church that is represents the god oversees all festivals of the god, including celebrations of marriage. Even royal marriages are to be approved by the church because they play a huge part in the country."

"And the priest rejected ours...why?" The princess didn't know how to feel about this.

Austin tossed the crumpled letter out the open window. "The reason is that 'the princess is from a different ethnic group', but I call _bullshit_. In history, there were several queens from different ethnicities. They didn't approve the marriage because they don't like me!"

"When His Majesty was crowned," said Sebastian, "he immediately took steps to destroy the corruption in the government. The number of people removed from power was not few, and it is no surprise that some may have resorted to joining the church. There is, however, another way..."

The king raised his hand and glared at his butler. "If you tell her, she'll do it like the stubborn person she is."

Ally crossed her arms. "At least tell me. I'll find a way to know anyway."

Austin resignedly nodded to Sebastian and Sebastian continued. "You will have to take the Trial. One must find and get a special ring in an underground shrine. If they succeed, they receive the right from the moon god to enter the royal family. It is a difficult trial and many princesses have lost their lives there. Because of that, the Trial has not been done in ages."

"I-"

"No," Austin said bluntly, "I'd rather shut down the whole church than you take one step into the shrine. It's too dangerous."

"If you accept the Trial, you will be admitting that you do not belong here too." Sebastian explained again.

The king sighed. "I'll figure something out."

* * *

As soon as the discussion was over, Ally left the room in a hurry to find Marilyn. Her maid had mentioned something about her sister working in the church. Ally had a plan and she needed Marilyn's help. The princess wanted to speak to the priest, or at least see what kind of person he was. It was not a solid plan, but she couldn't just sit around.

Ally borrowed an uniform from Marilyn, and headed for the church. She disguised herself as Marilyn going to the church to deliver something to her sister. A shawl covered her face, and they let her in. Ally was walking through a long hallway when she heard a commotion in the room just a bit ahead of her. Curiously, she peeked and eavesdropped.

A maid was standing with her head down as some higher authority reprimanded her. He was saying harsh things and was raising his hand to hit her. Ally, without much thought, interrupted with a burst of wind. She stood protectively in front of the maid, the man knocked off his feet from the wind she summoned.

"P-princess Ally?"

Well, her cover was blown. "Don't you dare try to do that again."

The man glowered at her. "A _foreign _princess will not speak to me like this."

Another man stepped in and placed a hand on the angry man's shoulder. "Calm yourself."

The first man immediately bowed to him. "I'm sorry, Priest."

The priest Ally had been looking for turned his attention on her. "And what is the princess of Dawson doing here?"

"I want to talk to you about the rejection of my marriage to King Austin."

He nodded. "I see. You possess the power to bring forth the rain, correct?"

"Yes." Ally raised an eyebrow at the random question.

The man's eyes held an odd glint as he spoke the next words. "Rain and clouds are evil things that cover the moon. This country does not need them. Yes, you are a bad omen."

Ally stared at the priest in shock.

"His Majesty may send me to prison, but I will say this frankly," he continued, "King Austin, by choosing you, has proven that half of his blood is filthy. The king's mother was from a small tribe, and his blood is not fit for a king. He does not deserve his throne. Austin the First should not have been born." The priest turned his back on her. "You should take the opportunity to not marry him, or you may find yourself sharing the same fate as Austin's mother."

The princess resisted the urge to go after and punch him in the face as he walked away. "Is that a threat to my life?"

He paused in his steps, and flashed her a fake smile. "Take it as you will, Princess."

The maid who was behind Ally the whole time placed her hand on her arm. "I am so sorry, Your Highness. Would you allow me to take you on a detour?"

Ally agreed, and the maid, who introduced herself as Bethany, escorted her through several doors to an open area. There were many interesting trees with white petals, and a house in the distance. "They're quite amazing," commented Ally, pointing to the trees.

"Yes, they're in full bloom right now, but that's not what I wanted to show you. I wanted you to see that." Bethany nodded towards the house.

As they walked closer to the house, Ally saw some children gazing curiously at her from the window. "Is this?..."

The maid explained somberly. "Everyone there does not have parents. They are child refugees from other ethnic groups, and not long ago, they were called "children of the lower class". King Austin abolished the class system, but there was still no charity for these children. His Majesty personally ordered for this orphanage to be made."

One of the children collided with Ally. The young girl hugged Ally's legs as she asked excitedly. "Are you the queen?"

"I guess, but..."

"I knew it! Is King Austin not coming today?"

"Yeah, it's just me. 'Today'?"

The girl grinned, revealing a missing tooth. "He came here last week for an inspection. But he looked at those flowers the whole time!" She gestured wildly to the rose bushes to their right.

Ally tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Really?"

"M hm. I asked him if he liked them, and he said 'flowers were just flowers'!"

"Sounds just like him," the princess giggled.

"But then he said looking at the flowers reminds him of his queen!" The girl gave her a sly look and poked Ally. "That's you. He told me that 'not only flowers, but the trees, the sun, and the whole of the world reminds me of her. When I think of the queen, the world is a lot more beautiful.'"

Bethany came back from the rose bushes, and brought out a small bouquet of them. She offered it to Ally as she smiled warmly. "The children would like to give you this. We believe that to us, Princess Ally has already done enough to be qualified as our queen."

* * *

Austin opened his eyes wearily, smelling something sweet. His head still sunk comfortably on his pillow as he saw Ally sitting by his side.

"Oops, sorry I woke you up." She apologized.

"It's alright, but what's that sweet smell?" He glanced at his bed sheets and almost jumped in surprise. "What is this?"

Ally laughed at the expression on his face. The king was still looking at the roses on his bed in shock. "It's a flower bed!"

Austin mock glared at Ally.

The princess shrugged it off. "These flowers are from the children in the orphanage. They plucked almost every rose when I told them of my prank."

"You went to the orphanage?"

"I went to the church." Ally took a deep breath. "I accepted the Trial." She had told Bethany to confirm it for her after she visited the orphanage.

The effect of her words were instant. "What? I told you, it's-"

"Let them hurt me then. If it's a wound taken for you, I'll take it. I'll accept the hate, even if it comes from their hate of you. Austin," she met his gaze and held it, "I want to accept both you and your pain."

Austin gazed back at the brown orbs and saw that there was no point in fighting her. He moved to one of his drawers and took something out. "Put out your hand." Ally did as he said and he put the object on her palm. "This was my mother's ring. She told me to give it the right person when the time came, and I've meant to give this to you. There's a chain so you can wear it around your neck for now. Maybe it will protect you. And then during the ceremony, you can wear it on your finger. But return safely from the Trial first."

Ally regarded the beautiful band of gold, touched. She looked back at Austin as she put the necklace around her neck.

"I will."

* * *

**Next chapter will be the Trial! It's going to be exciting :)**

**Q:Wait what could happen to ally so she can't have a baby?**  
**A:Her body might have problems, or I don't know, she could die...*evil laughter***

**Oh and the people spying on Ally and all that stuff is going to come later. I'm still deciding things on the whole rebellion thing. **

**So what do you guys think? Is Ally going to pass the Trial?**


End file.
